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Overview

France progress, Japan must wait

(FIFA.com) Saturday 25 August 2007

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In a thrilling Group D match this evening,
France beat Japan 2-1 to secure a dramatic qualification for the
knockout phase of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Korea 2007. A goal down
at half-time at the Goyang Stadium this Saturday, the
Bleuets staged a stirring comeback to keep their world
championship ambitions alive.

From the first whistle, the Europeans, for whom only victory
would be good enough, put pressure on Ryotaro Hironaga's goal.
Chances were not long in coming, most notably on 19 minutes, when
only a post kept Japan on level terms. None the less, the Asian
side posed a threat themselves, mainly through their star striker
Yoichiro Kakitani. And it was precisely Kakitani who broke the
deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a spectacular long-range
drive that caught goalkeeper Abdoulaye Keita by surprise.

After the break, French coach Francois Blacquart threw caution
to the wind and sent on two strikers. The gamble paid ample
dividends and within minutes France had turned the game around.
First captain Said Mehamha restored parity with an intelligent
strike (63'), then Emmanuel Riviere scored what turned out to
be the winning goal with a solid header (65'). France can now
look forward to taking their campaign into the knockout stages,
while Japan must wait until tomorrow's results to see if they
will join them there.